Currency dispenser

ABSTRACT

A paper currency dispenser is described for rapidly dispensing a number of notes or bills. The dispenser has an automatic in-feed as well as an automatic out-feed drive with bill detectors suitably located to sense the passage of separated bills. Signals from the detectors may be used to update a counter to indicate how many bills are stored or have been dispensed or to dispense a specific quantity demanded by an operator. The dispenser employs modularized units which dispense bills of different denominations and are driven by a common motor. A practical structure with rapidly acting belt driving elements is obtained to dispense bills successively and controllably at high speeds.

United States Patent [1 1 Hanson CURRENCY DISPENSER [75] lnventor: Walter J. Hanson, Greenwich,

Conn.

[73] Assignee: Pitney-Bowes, Inc., Stamford, Conn.

[22] Filed: Sept. 28, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 292,921

[52] 0.8. Cl. 133/1 R, 93/93 C, l94/DIG. 9 [51] Int. Cl. 606m 7/06 [58] Field of Search 133/1, 4, 8; l94/D1G. 9;

93/93 C; 271/4, DIG. 7, 110, 111

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,447,655 6/1969 Tawaka 133/1 R 3,222,057 12/1965 Couri 194/DlG. 9 3,123,082 3/1964 Call 133/1 R 3,683,943 8/1972 DeCrepy l94/DlG. 9 2,992,820 7/196] Tarbock 271/110 Primary ExaminerRobert B. Reeves Assistant ExaminerThomas E. Kocovsky Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William D. Soltow, Jr.; Albert W. Scribner; Martin D. Wittstein [57 ABSTRACT A paper currency dispenser is described for rapidly dispensing a number of notes or bills. The dispenser has an automatic in-feed as well as an automatic outfeed drive with bill detectors suitablylocated to sense the passage of separated bills. Signals from the detectors may be used to update a counter to indicate how many bills are stored or have been dispensed or to dispense a specific quantity demanded by an operator. The dispenser employs modularized units which dispense bills of different denominations and are driven by a common motor. A practical structure with rap idly acting belt driving elements is obtained to dispense bills successively and controllably at high speeds.

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CURRENCY DISPENSER PAPER CURRENCY DISPENSER This invention relates to a dispenser of paper currency bills. More specifically, this invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing paper currency bills and maintaining a count of the bills.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a paper currency dispenser in accordance with the invention, a module housing is provided with an in-feed path along which bills are fed to a holder for storage. The housing further includes an outfeed path for dispensing bills stored in the holder in response to demands initiated by the operator.

With a paper currency dispenser in accordance with the invention, a number of module housings may be conveniently joined to one another to be all driven from a common drive. Each module dispenses bills of different denominations. For example, as described herein with respect to a preferred embodiment, four modules are mounted together to respectively dispense l, 5, l and dollar bills.

The bills are automatically and rapidly dispensed upon command by an operator such as a bank teller. In this manner the paper currency dispenser provides a convenient apparatus for servicing of bank customers seeking, for instance, the cashing of paychecks and the like. The dispenser conveniently incorporates dial-in features whereby the number of bills is dialed or keyed in and then the bills are dispensed in rapid succession.

The bills are initially entered into each of the dispenser modules by placing them on an in-feed platform below a primary in-feed roller. The lifting of the in-feed roller initiates an infeed drive which includes an electric motor and several drive rollers. The in-feed drive picks off one bill at a time and feeds it, separated from preceeding and successive bills, past an in-feed bill detector for deposit in a bill holder. The in-feed bill detector senses the passage of each separated bill and produces an in-feed signal to update a counter. The counter, which is capable of counting up and down, responds to the in-feed signal by adding a count to indicate the number of bills in the bill holder of the module.

When a bill is to be dispensed, the operator initiates a demand by energizing an actuator such as a pushbutton switch. The latter action activates an out-feed drive which includes the drive motor and several outfeed rollers. The out-feed drive removes one bill at a time from the holder and advances each bill, after separation from preceeding and successive bills, along an out-feed path onto a tray for use by the operator. The out-feed of each separated bill is sensed by a detector whose out-feed signal is used to terminate the out-feed drive and reduce the count of the counter.

The bill dispensing modules are conveniently driven from a common motor located in one module and coupled to the others with a jack shaft. The single drive motor may be energized by each of the modules, depending upon which type of denomination is to be processed.

The paper currency dispenser in accordance with the invention is advantageously formed with a practical construction, yet operates to process bills rapidly to provide an accurate and convenient aid in the servicing of bank customers and the like. It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a convenient, rapidly operating paper currency dispenser.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS These and other advantages and objects of the invention will be understood from the following description of an embodiment described in conjunction with the drawings wherein FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of paper currency dispenser modules for processing different denominations in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section view of an individual paper currency dispenser module in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of circuitry employed for a'pap'er currency dispenser in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a drive-train schematic representation of the in-feed drive employed in the paper currency module of FIG. 2.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT With reference to FIG. 1, a paper currency dispenser 10 is shown formed of four interconnected modules 12.1, 12.2, 12.3 and 12.4 respectively dispensing l, 5, l0 and 20 dollar bills. Each module 12 has an in-feed platform 14 sized and shaped to receive standard paper currency bills. Each in-feed platform leads to a driven in-feed primary roller 16 which is mounted to pivot upwardly in the direction of arrow 18 to receive bills below it. i

Each module 12 further is provided with an out-feed tray 20 onto which bills removed from the modules are delivered. In front of each tray is a numerical display 22 of the number of bills remaining in each module as determined by a counter (see FIG. 2). A push-button switch 24 is provided to initiate the removal of bills as demanded by the operator.

The modules 12 are driven into operation from a common electrical motor 26 mounted in module 12.1. Motor 26 drives a common jack shaft 28.1 which is mechanically connected to jack shafts 28.2, 28.3 and 28.4 in other modules 12 by means of interlocking fittings 30. In addition, electrical cables and interconnections (not shown) are provided between modules 12 so that motor 26 may be energized by the actuation of any one module 12.

In a typical operation of the paper currency dispensers 10, the modules 12 as shown in FIG. 1 are located on a counter to aid a bank teller in servicing his customers. If, for example, a customer wishes to cash a check for 37 dollars, then the bank teller may actuate push-button 24.3 to remove three 10 dollar bills, push button 24.2 for a single 5 dollar bill and push-button 24.1 for a pair of 1 dollar bills.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side section view of module 12. The in-feed platform 14 forms a part of an in-feed path 32 leading to a bill depository or holder 34. In-feed path 32 includes the primary feed roller 16 and secondary in-feed rollers 33 and 36. In-feed roller 34 cooperates with a separator 35 to select one bill at a time for delivery to holder 34. The primary in-feed roller '16 is connected to a bracket 38 which is pivotally connected to a shaft 40 in common with secondary roller '33. Bracket 38 has an angled extension 42 shaped to engage a lever arm 44 of a normally open switch 46. The bracket 38 is shown in the upwardly pivoted position which occurs when bills 31 are placed on platform 14. Hence, as shown, extension 42 has been pivoted away from lever arm 44 to allow switch 46 to close and produce a motor energizing signal on output line 48.

Bills 31 are moved along in-feed path 32 by passing the bills between drive rollers 33, 36 and idlers 52 and 54. Bills 31, which are delivered to depository 34, are deposited on surface 56 adjacent to a separator wall 58 and over the primary drive of an out-feed 60.

As shown in FIG. 4, the drive for the in-feed rollers is obtained with drive belts 62 and 64 coupling motor 26 to gear train 65. Gear train 65 is formed of serially coupled gears 66, 70, 71, 72 and 73 with gears 66, 71 and 73 respectively mounted coaxially with secondary roller 36, secondary roller 33 and primary in-feed roller 16. The drive ratios of belts and gear train 65 are so selected that secondary roller 36is rotated at a higher speed than rollers 16 and 33. The difference in rotation speeds assures a separation of successive bills along the in feed path 32 and thus permits an optical counting of the number of bills delivered to holder 34.

When all the bills 31 on platform 14 have been fed into holder 34, the weight of primary roller 16 causes it to pivot down (as shown by the dotted outline of roller 16) into a slot 74 formed in platform 14. This downward pivot action is sufficient to causeextension 42 to actuate and open switch 46 and remove the motor energizing signal on output line 48. Since the downward action of primary roller 16 is likely to terminate motor rotation before the last bill 31 has been fed into holder 34, a time delay relay (not shown in the view of FIG. 2, but see FIG. 3) is employed to maintain the motor energized until the last bill has been delivered to holder 34.

The out-feed drive 60 includes a pair of primary feedout rollers 76, 78 and an eject roller 80 positioned along an out-feed path 82. Two separate drive belts 84, 86 are used to rotate respectively rollers 76, 78 and eject roller 80. The drive ratios for belts 84 and 86 are different to impart a faster rotation to eject roller 80 than to primary feed-out rollers 76, 78 and thus achieve a separation of bills 31 along the out-feed path 82. Bills 31 are passed between an idler 88 and a separator 90 respectively located opposite eject roller 80 and primary feed roller 78.

The removal of bills 31 is obtained upon demand by an operator whose depression of push button 24 starts up motor 26. Since motor 26 is used both for in-feed and out-feed, the out-feed drive belt 84 is coupled to jack shaft 28, through a relay controlled clutch (not shown in FIG. 2, but see FIG. 3). This clutch is energized only by the actuation of push-button switch 24 when the operator requests an out-feed of bills. During out-feed the eject feed-out roller 80 is continuously driven from jack shaft 28 with belt 86.

The in-feed of bills requires a separation along infeed path 32 in order to count the number of bills supplied to holder 34. Separation is obtained by rotating the secondary in-feed roller 36 at a higher speed than rollers 16 and 34. A photodetector 92 having an output line 94 is stationed near in feed roller 36 to take advantage of greater bill separation. Output line 94 is applied to an electrical network 96 which includes circuitry for recognizing the trailing edge of a bill passing detector 92 and generates an appropriate signal on line 97 to advance a counter 98 by one.

Correspondingly, each bill fed out by module 12 is detected with a photo detector 100 stationed near eject roller 80 where sufficient bill separation for edge detection occurs. A signal representative of the detected fedout bill occurs on line 102 and is coupled to network 96 to recognize the trailing edge of the bill. A trailing edge signal is then applied on line 103 to counter 98 to decrease its count by one and effectively applied on line 104 to deactivate the out-feed drive clutch. Hence, upon the removal of each bill from holder 34, the counter 98 is updated to register the correct number of bills remaining in holder 34.

The operation of the paper currency dispenser 10 may be further explained with reference to the schematic representation of FIG. 3. When bills 31 are placed on platform 14, the primary feed-in roller 16 is lifted and feed-in detection switch 46 produces an enabling signal through latching time delay relay 110 to actuate motor 26. Motor 26 provides the drive for advancing bills 31 along the in-feed path 32 to holder 34 until the last bill has been removed from platform 14. At that time, the primary feed-in roller 16 drops to thus remove the switch signal on line 48. The time delay relay 110, however, maintains the motor energized sufficiently long until the last bill has been delivered to holder 34.

As each bill travels along in-feed path 32, the light from a light source 112 directed at photo detector 92 is interrupted to provide a corresponding on-off response on its output line. A trailing edge detection network 114 recognizes when the light changes from dark to bright (corresponding to the trailing edge of a bill) and provides an advance signal on line 97 to counter 98. Note that the output lines 48.2, 48.3 and 48.4 from other feed-in detect switches 46 are also applied to the time delay relay 110 for motor actuation.

During out-feed, the operator actuates a push button 24 which in turn causes motor 26 and the relay clutch 116 to be energized. This in turn allows the out-feed rollers 76, 78 and 80 to remove and deliver bills 31..As each bill passes photo detector 100, the light directed on detector 100 from a light source. 112' is interrupted and the trailing edge of a feed-out bill is detected by network 114'. The output from network 114' is applied to relay clutch 116 to disengage the latter and remove the drive from the primary out-feed rollers 76, 78.

In an example of a module for a bill dispenser in accordance with the invention, the in-feed rollers 16 and 34 are rotated to advance the bills at 14.15 inches per second and roller 36 is rotated to advance bills of 6 l 8 inches length at 22.91 inches per second to provide a separation of 0.675 inches between successive bills fed in at the rate of I40 per minute.

The out-feed rollers 76 and 78 are rotated to advance bills at 14.38 inches per second and eject roller 80 is rotated to advance bills at 22.91 inches per second.

The resultant separation is 0.657 inches with bills being each bill is delivered, the dial-in count reduced until the desired quantity has been dispensed.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for dispensing and counting notes of paper currency of a selected number of different denominations comprising:

a predetermined number of housings functioning together and arranged in side-by-side relationship, each housing dispensing notes of a given denomination and so arranged as to be easily attachable to, and removable from, its neighboring housings; each said housing comprising means defining an in-feed path for accepting entering notes in a controlled manner, a depository for receiving the entering notes from said in-feed path for the purposes of storage, means defining an out-feed path separate of said in-feed path for dispensing said received and stored notes in a controlled manner, a pair of differential in-feed rollers disposed in said in-feed path for separating and advancing said notes along said in-feed path, said in-feed differential rollers operative at different rotative speeds with respect to each other so as to separate the notes for the purpose of counting the number of notes being supplied to the depository, a first detector disposed adjacent said in-feed path for detecting the notes being fed to said depository, first circuit means connected to said first detector for recognizing the in-feed notes and generating a signal for each detected note, a first counter connected to said first circuit means for counting the number of notes being recognized by said first circuit means in response to the signals supplied by said first circuit means to said first counter, a pair of differential out-feed rollers disposed in said outfeed path for separating and advancing said notes along said out-feed path, said out-feed differential rollers operative at different rotative speeds with respect to each other so as to separate the notes for the purpose of counting the number of notes being dispensed from the depository, a second detector disposed adjacent said out-feed path for detecting the notes being dispensed from said depository, second circuit means connected to said second detector for recognizing the outfeed notes and generating a signal for each detected note, a second counter connected to said second circuit means for counting the number of notes being recognized by said second circuit means in response to the signals supplied by said second circuit means to said second counter, interconnecting transmission means disposed between said first and second differential rollers for driving the in-feed rollers and the outfeed rollers in unison;

motor disposed in cooperative operating relationship to said housings for driving each of the in-feed and out-feed rollers of each housing; and

a segmented jack shaft running between each housing and operatively connecting said motor to each of said transmission means for driving each of the respective in-feed and out-feed rollers, said jack shaft being adapted to connect to, and disconnect from, an adjacent housing jack shaft segment, whereby each respective housing is capable of operating in unison with other respective housings, but is capable of being removed or attached as a module unit. 

1. An apparatus for dispensing and counting notes of paper currency of a selected number of different denominations comprising: a predetermined number of housings functioning together and arranged in side-by-side relationship, each housing dispensing notes of a given denomination and so arranged as to be easily attachable to, and removable from, its neighboring housings; each said housing comprising means defining an in-feed path for accepting entering notes in a controlled manner, a depository for receiving the entering notes from said in-feed path for the purposes of storage, means defining an out-feed path separate of said in-feed path for dispensing said received and stored notes in a controlled manner, a pair of differential in-feed rollers disposed in said in-feed path for separating and advancing said notes along said in-feed path, said in-feed differential rollers operative at different rotative speeds with resPect to each other so as to separate the notes for the purpose of counting the number of notes being supplied to the depository, a first detector disposed adjacent said in-feed path for detecting the notes being fed to said depository, first circuit means connected to said first detector for recognizing the in-feed notes and generating a signal for each detected note, a first counter connected to said first circuit means for counting the number of notes being recognized by said first circuit means in response to the signals supplied by said first circuit means to said first counter, a pair of differential out-feed rollers disposed in said out-feed path for separating and advancing said notes along said out-feed path, said out-feed differential rollers operative at different rotative speeds with respect to each other so as to separate the notes for the purpose of counting the number of notes being dispensed from the depository, a second detector disposed adjacent said out-feed path for detecting the notes being dispensed from said depository, second circuit means connected to said second detector for recognizing the out-feed notes and generating a signal for each detected note, a second counter connected to said second circuit means for counting the number of notes being recognized by said second circuit means in response to the signals supplied by said second circuit means to said second counter, interconnecting transmission means disposed between said first and second differential rollers for driving the in-feed rollers and the out-feed rollers in unison; a motor disposed in cooperative operating relationship to said housings for driving each of the in-feed and out-feed rollers of each housing; and a segmented jack shaft running between each housing and operatively connecting said motor to each of said transmission means for driving each of the respective in-feed and out-feed rollers, said jack shaft being adapted to connect to, and disconnect from, an adjacent housing jack shaft segment, whereby each respective housing is capable of operating in unison with other respective housings, but is capable of being removed or attached as a module unit. 